Process of automatically manufacturing envelopes



June 19, 1923. v I 59m5 F. J. PARKS PROCESS OF AUTOMATICALLYMANUFACTURING ENVELOPES I o i inal Filed Ap'fil ll, 1917 coveringaccompanying drawing, w herein Patented June 1923.

UNETED erase.

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FREDERICK JAMES PARKS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PROCESS OE AUTOMIATICALLY MANUFACTURING I ENVELOPES.

Original application filed April 11, 1917, Serial No. 161,166. PatentNo. 1,316,737, dated September 23,

1919. Divided and this applicationfiled August 23,

To all whom it may 00mm.-

Be it knownthat I, FREDERICK JAMns PARKS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of the city and State of New York,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes ofAutomatically Manufacturing Envelopes, of which the following is aspecification.

This is a division of,my patent applica tion, Serial No.v 161,166, filedApril 11, 1917, an improved machine for making envelopes.

The'invention relates particularly to the manufacture ofenvelopes-wherein a pocketis provided upon the envelope body. for thereception of part of-a closing flap, in such a manner that the same mayreadily'be withdrawnto permit inspection of the enclosure by the postalauthorities, and thereafter reinserted for transmission through themails. The object of the invention is to provide a novel andimproved-method or process of producing envelopes of this type, capableof employment for their production in' such. a

way as to afford important advantages. and economies that will insuretheir practical or commercial manufacture. v I Y Briefly outlined, thesaid method or process consists first in producing in the blank of whichthe envelope is formed, a series oftransversely directed folds wherebycorrespondingly arranged closure members for the envelope are producedat the opposite ends or edges, and subsequently folding orsealing thesides of the blank to produce the lateral closures for the envelope.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in'theclaims. 7

In order that my improvements may be the better understood, I will nowproceed to describe the invention with reference to the Figure 1, is adevelopment of the. preferred form of blank utilized for making theenvelope, the same being shown in perspective; I v

Figure 2, is a perspective-view; of the blank doubled upon itself in alongitudinal direction, as it appears after the first transverse foldhas been made therein; 7

Figure 3, is a similar view of the blank folded at the ends thereof,

- Figure fl, is a like view, showilig en addimaking the envelope -01918. Serial N0. 251,174.

' tional fold taken transversely of the doubled ends of the blank;

Figure 5, shows the blank spe'ctlve, with the latter-named fold open toreceive some adhesive substance, which is likewise in perapplied to theinner face thereof, as also to Preferably and as shown, the first stepin envelope is to fold this blank transversely at or near the middle ofthe length, as indicated at 6, whereby the front.

and back plies 0v and (Z are formed, together produced is designated aswiththe closure at the end or edge of .the

blank isgiven a plurality of parallel and closely related folds e and f,so that it becomes transversely folded at and adjacent to the mouth ofthe envelope. These folds producea two-ply pocket with the rear ply dbeen reinserted to prevent loss of such en pposite to its mouth. Next,the

g, integrally joined along the envelope. mouth, and a two-ply closureflap or member h. The latter is preferably V-shaped as and after havingI closure in the mails, can again be retracted readily, so that therequired examination of the contents may bemade during transit. Theduplex or-twoply formation of the closure flap or memben h, facilitatesits insertion in the pocket 9, and also assures-its retention therein.by reason of the increased stilfness'an'd thickness thusimparted-to it.

The formation of the blank is such thatone of its extremities 2',constituting a terminal reduced part of the'flap h in the completedenvelope, protrudes from the pocket 9 thereof so as to afford a fingerhold, enabling this terminal part to be readily seized by thefingerswhen the flap is to 'be with-' drawn fromthe pocket.

As shown, also, the blank is provided with p be folded over "of thepocket '9, I underlying portion of the back ply d, to hold b is taken onintegral side flaps orextensions j, 7', parallel with each other alongthe opposite lateral edges .or sides. These later-al'fiapsor extensionsare adapted, after the formation of the flap-receiving pocket as aboveset forth, to longitudinally of the blank and to be sealed down alongthe opposite sides of the envelope to close the same.

Simultaneously, the adjoining extremities are sealed down upon the frontply 0 will project beyond the adjacent extremities of the back ply (1.-Figures 1 and a 2. This provides one end closure for the both the plies0 and d of the blank so that envelope atjb, and at the same time leavesthe superposed'extremities of the front and.

back plies of sufficient length, respectively,

'to produce the before mentioned two-ply pocket g,

and two-ply closure flap h, together with the pull-out portion i.

The second transverse or pocket forming fold e is produced in the endportions of the terminal of each is folded over upon the 'backof theenvelope, as represented in Figure 3.

The terminal portion of the ply d, thus folded over, forms the innerthickness of the two-ply pocket 9, whilst the terminal portion of theply0, simultaneously folded over, forms part of It will-be observed thatthe fold e alone affords a pocket though of single thickness,

I at the free end ofthe back ply cl, and that such a pocket would becapable of retaining the portion 5 of the front ply 0, if this .portionof the blank were tucked into it, and the ends of the pocket sealed.But, the

' present invention contemplates the employment of the parallel folding7 in addition.

By taking the third transverse fold f,

across the doubled ends of the blank, the

terminal portion of the T ply. 05 is again turned upon itself tocomplete the two-ply pocket g, and the superjacent terminal of the ply aengaged therewith automatically becomes inserted in this pocket, whereit constitutes the two-ply closure flap or member h, the extremity i ofwhich protrudes outwardly to afford a finger hold ashereinbefore setforth. See Figure 4:.

of the folded terminal portion 'of or method of manlified in theaforesaid patent applicationthem each in its proper the closure memberor flap 'the opposite'ends of the envelopes.

It will be noted that the second and third the projecting extremity i ofthe front ply c I is folded back upon the rear ply d exteriorly thelatter. During the third transverse folding operation, at 7, the blankis again folded from the same, side transversely across the overturnedor doubled part ofthe front ply a, so that the reduced end of the blankis partly'covered by the formation of the pocket 9, and becomes .theinserted closure flap only. the short pull-out portion i thereofprotruding from -the., pocket.

The three transverse folds b, 6, ing been produced in above the mannerhereindescribed, the side flaps j, y of the h, with v and fhavblank arefolded over and sealed down upon I the lateral parts of the rear ply (Zto close the sidesof the envelope, and-the ends of the pocket g, arelikewise secured to maintain place.

As a preliminary to this operation, the blank may be scored or creasedlengthwise, as at k, is, Figure 1, along the junctures of the side flaps'j, j, with the front ply 0, soas to facilitate the folding over of thesaid side flaps, whether manually or through some mechanical appliance.

V Any desirable adhesive substance, such as gum or the like, may be usedfor sealing the flaps j, and the ends of the pocket g, upon the oppositesides of the ply d. Preferably, the gum is appliedas at m, a, Figure 5,to the flaps themselves and'to the adjacent extremities of the foldedblank portion whereto the herein described invention, the blanks arefirst given'a plurality of transverse folds, whereby absolute closuresare produced for One of such closures is of a permanent character,afi'orded by the'central fold b, which closes the bottom of theenvelope, as best seen in Figures 6 and 7 The oppositely arrangedclosure is not permanent, but porary or separable character, beingformed by the plural folds e and f, whereby the and the flap or member71. 1nter-. locked therewith are simultaneously produced, by foldin bothplies of the blank conjointly. lltwi 1 be apparent, in this connection,that both of the-folds e and f need not be produced in the two-plies cand d, of

the envelope, inasmuchas when a two-ply is of a tempocket is notdesired, the fold e may be produced only in the front ply c, of thefolded blank, parallel with and adjacent to the terminal edge of therear ply d, the latter being shortened for the purpose, for instance byseverin the section marked w, in Figures 1 and 2, ai er which, uponroductioii of the fold f, both plies c and (i Wlll be folded, producinga singl ply pocket as previously mentioned and a scored or creasedclosure flap engaging the same. The transverse scoring or creasing ofthe closure flap being effected simultaneously with the formation ofthe'pocket insures perfect. conformity between these parts without-thenecessity of su-bjectin the envelope to further operations, which is adistinct advantage, since the independent scoring of the said flap withthe pocket would be difiicultto perform otherwise.

Having thus described In invention, what I claim and desire to secure yLetters Patent 1s: g

1. In .a process of automatically manufacturing envelo es, the stepswhich consist,

in conjointly f0 ding the superposed'ends of 'a doubled blanktransversely at points adjacent to each other to form a separableclosure member in interlocked relation with a retaining pocket; closingthe lateral edges of the blank and fastening saidpocket.

. '2. In a process of automatically manufacturing envelopes, the-stepswhich consist, in twice eonjointly folding a two-ply blank, one of whoseplies has an end closure flap,

transversely at points adjacent toeach other,

whereby the closure flap is first folded over one of the plies of theblank and then a re-' 3. In a process of automatically'manm facturingenvelopes, the steps which "consist, I

in twice conjointly folding a two-ply blank,

one of whose plies has an end closure flap, transversely at pointsadjacent to each other, the lateral edges of the respective plies being'out of registry, said flap being first folded over one' of the plies ofthe blank and then a. retaining pocket produced with which said flap isinterlocked; and then folding over and sealing. the respective lateraloverlap-v ping blank edges upon the adjacent ply and the adjacent endsof said pocket.

4. In a processof automatically manufactwice conjoint y folding atwo-ply blank, one of whose plies has a narrowed terminal portionprovided with an end'closure flap extended beyond the adjacent end ofthe other pl transversely at points adjacent to each ot er, whereby saidterminal portion is first folded over one of the plies of the blank andthen a retaining ocket produced'with which said flap is detac ablyinterlocked and from which it extendsyclosing the lateral edges of theblank and fastening said pocket.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

rmznnmcx, JAMES ranks; a 5.]

.turing envelo es, the steps which consist, in

